sympathetic endo

[Barb1949]

I remember seeing something on here about an endo in Edinburgh but I didn't write down his details and cannot recall where I saw it. Does anyone know who he is and which hospital he works at? I am seeing my GP tomorrow about, hopefully, getting NDT. She has been finding out if she can prescribe it for me. If not I would like to ask for a referral. Otherwise does anyone know of a good endo in the Dundee/Aberdeen area as they are closer. I have had to do my own research about hypo and treatments as my doctor has admitted she knows practically nothing about thyroid problems! Surprise!

I am a volunteer substitute patient at Dundee Ninewells Hospital and was talking to some of the year 4 students today. They are doing an exercise about endo late this week so I asked how much training they had about Thyroid. One told me they had one a whole month and was surprised when I told him he would need a lot more than that. They also admitted they had done a lot more on diabetes. I knew this from the scenarios I have been given. There are lots for Diabetic things but the only Thyroid thing we have a scenario for is Goitre!! I haven't met an endo down there yet, does anyone know any of them. I might put a few questions their way if they give me the chance. If I have even a small influence on what these new doctors learn I will be incredibly happy. AT year 4 stage of their training these student doctors seem to be very open, still, to suggestions, thoughts and questions.

We sometimes get to give talks to the students about our own illnesses, operations etc. so they can learn thing from the patients viewpoint. I am going to see if I can talk to them about what it is to be a hypo sufferer.

[shaws Administrator]

If anyone knows of the Endocrinologist(s) you enquire about they will send you a Private Message as we cannot state on the open forum.

I hope it isn't one who only goes by our TSH level before being diagnosed and I believe that everyone who is a member of BTA follows their guidelines.

It is a great idea if you can educate these young Endocrinologists because they were taught in the 60's all the symptoms and how to 'look' at a patient and diagnose and treat them without blood tests.

It is a huge failure nowadays due to the importance of the thyroid gland and its hormones to only take into account the TSH plus the devastation it causes to many lives/families.

[Barb1949 in reply to shaws]

#thanks Shaws, I did read that this particular endo was very sympathetic to our problems so I hope I can find his details again.

Funnily enough I was only telling my granddaughter yesterday that when I was first diagnosed it was because a customer in my shop, who was a doctor in the local mental health hospital, suggested I ask my gp for a test. She cam into my shop one morning and I was asleep, standing behind the counter. She had noticed I had put on quite a bit of weight an thought my thyroid was the problem. My gp told me there was nothing wrong with my thyroid as he would be able to tell just by looking at me!! He agreed to do the test anyway and I had a call a few days later asking me to pick up some thyroxine from the pharmacy!!!!!! My total diagnosis and all the details I was ever given.

[shaws Administrator in reply to Barb1949]

We know different now. I wasn't diagnosed by any of the ten doctors, consultants I saw. It was a first-aider who suggested I have a blood test - TSH was 100 by then.